The Importance Of Dealing With Family

Dealing with family members can be difficult. Whether the difficulty stems from sharing a room with a sibling, taking orders from a parent or grandparent, or even cleaning up after a pet, coexisting with multiple people under one roof is not an easy task. Many American families, however, deal with a much more painstaking issue: divorce. It is estimated that 40-50% of American couples get divorced, many of whom have developed families with children. My family is no exception from this statistic. Growing up in a divided household is a difficult task to cope with; from trying to figure out which clothes were at which house to trying to understand the entire situation as an 8 year old, my parents ' divorce affected me heavily. As I approached …show more content…
I became depressed for an extended period of time and felt like there was no reason to continue living in the continuous cycle of anger and hostility. However, gradually I began to pull myself out of the slump I previously felt trapped in. I attribute a very large part of this recovery from depression and suicidal behavior to a friend I had met my sophomore year in high school. Meeting this very close friend allowed me to talk with somebody about the issues I was facing at home and the way that they made me feel. Instead of feeling alone and isolated, I started to feel connected and respected. I began to truly value the responsibility of taking care of my brother and making sure that he was doing well in his studies and beyond. My mom 's actions and bouts of anger allowed me to identify the lack of mutual respect and support in our relationship and many other relationships my mom had with …show more content…
Whether while participating in an extracurricular activity such as Mock Trial, volunteering, working at my job, or talking to a cashier in the grocery store, I saw this new approach to human interaction take place in my life. I was more cognizant of the way that I treated others, and I saw myself making an effort to treat people with respect and dignity. I had patience with others and I responded more logically to issues where mediation was necessary. Soon I would begin working in the customer outreach department at a nationally recognized Bay Area startup, where I continue to work. I respond to clients and callers in the same manner I interact with people face-to-face; I listen to a customer when they are experiencing an issue, and I react respectfully and logically. Going above and beyond to resolve a customer 's hardship or negative experience is something I pride myself with. I find a genuine sense of joy and accomplishment in finding solutions for people in distress. I believe that my experience in dealing with people such as my mother has opened my eyes to the extreme value mutual support and respect